Arvind Kejriwal moves SC challenging Delhi HC order

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, 10 April moved the Supreme Court challenging a high court order upholding his arrest in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam.

Kejriwal's counsel Vivek Jain told PTI that they have filed the petition in the apex court challenging the high court's order.

His plea is likely to be mentioned for urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Wednesday.

In a blow to Kejriwal ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Delhi High Court had on Tuesday, 9 April upheld his arrest in the money laundering case, saying the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was left with "little option" after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.

The high court had also cited the ED's claim that Kejriwal conspired and was actively involved in use and concealment of the proceeds of crime to reject his petition against his arrest.

The high court had chastised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, who was claimed to be involved in money laundering in his "personal capacity" and in his capacity as the national convenor of the political party, for questioning the timing of his arrest and underlined that an investigation against the "classes and masses" cannot be different.

The matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on 21 March, hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency.

He was sent to judicial custody in the case on 1 April after he was produced in the trial court on expiry of ED custody.